Lamb and Italian Wine for Dinner…

Oct 25, 2010

It was Sunday night, and I was a little tired after spending all afternoon at the Orleans casino with my cousin Byron, watching the LVMPD K-9 Trials. It was fabulous, by the way, and gave me hope for the future of Jake, my own personal wannabe K-9 Belgian Malinois. I say this as I watch him romping around the living room, throwing a squeaky cow in the air. Oh well.

While a part of me wanted to stop at a restaurant, preferably a local place, the part of me that said “get home before you fall down” was more insistent, so that’s what I did. I grabbed a few items from Whole Foods and hurried home.

One of the items I grabbed was some ground lamb. I figured that lamb and wine were a no-brainer as far as classic matches were concerned, and I had nothing to lose. I picked up a few veggies, including kale, beets, and grapes (okay. not a veggie), and decided to throw something together at home.

If I want ground beef at home, I purchase it in solid hunks or pieces and grind it in my own grinder (thanks Rod!), and don’t give it another thought. This is the first time I purchased ground lamb, and immediately discovered that it was very sticky from the naturally-occurring fat. So what to do? Add more fat! EVOO to the rescue!

When I had two simple but lovely patties of lamb, EVOO, salt, and fresh pepper made up, I broiled them quickly (less than ten minutes) and had them with my kale salad (fresh red kale, toasted pine nuts, tomatoes, grapeseed oil, rice vinegar, sprinkling of salt and a teaspoon of honey). The wine I chose was a wine from the island of Sardinia. No joke.

As a member of Nora’s Wine Bar Wine Club, I took advantage of the opportunity to purchase some (surprise!) Italian wines, and one of them included two bottles of 2003 Sella & Mosca Alghero Tanca Farra, a super-Tuscan of sorts. It’s a blend of Cannonou and Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s very Bordeaux-like on the nose and on the palate.

There’s the definitely old-world barnyard-y fragrance, along with hints of chocolate, pepper, cherry, and leather. It’s medium bodied, garnet in color, and actually looks older than it is. On the palate it brings cocoa, pepper, earth, plum, tobacco, and some spices which elude me. The finish is a little on the short side. At less than $23, it’s a great quality/price ratio, and I can easily recommend seeking it out.

As you can see, the winding-down time was quite pleasurable. The lamb and the wine were, as I had guessed, a great combination and I was able to relax and just enjoy each bite and sip. And then it was time for dessert.